The Hottest Stone Now Is Carnelian
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Until recently, I only thought of carnelian as the stone in theHellenistic relicsat the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s the kind of stone that I imagine gets discovered at an archaeological excavation —Tutankhamun’s maskwas inlaid with carnelian plus lapis lazuli and turquoise — not a stone you’d see much in jewelry,fineor otherwise. (Unless you’ve been keeping an eye onTed Muehlingall along, that is.) But lately, there’s something of a carnelian rush going on. I noticed Le Sundial’s opera-length carnelian tassel onLeandra Medine Cohenin February and carnelian cabochons on the rings inJ.Hannah x the Met’s second collection in May. Then there was the newVertigoat Moda Operandi: Between aventurine and chiastolite, there was carnelianagain.Even in recent weeks, I learnedthere are carnelian pieces byCoraliat Tangerine andLié Studioat Alex Mill’s Madison Avenue store. And it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that the newest acquisitions at antiques dealers Erica Weiner’s and Erie Basin’s shops include acarnelian collarcirca 1860 and thissquirrel watch fobdated to the turn of the century, respectively.
Why all the carnelian? It could have something to do with the stone’s red-orange-brown color, which is right in line with the rest of the earthen hues, likemushroomandradish, we’ve been seeing in everything from T-shirts to sake cups. (I’d liken carnelian to a persimmon or anheirloom tomato.) It also bears resemblance to jasper and coral, stones that have been used in the antiquities-inspired wares ofMarisa KlassandDagaandProunisfor some time now. Maybe it’s carnelian’s talismanic properties. It represents strength and energy, if you believe in that kind of thing. No wonderNapoleonreturned from his Egyptian campaign with a carnelian seal.
Here, some carnelian for your consideration:
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Make aparure— often a gift Napoleon gave to Joséphine de Beauharnais and then his second wife, Marie Louise — with Mejuri’s matching Carmen pieces.
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These are based on a “plain carnelian” from fifth century B.C. Cyprus that’s in the Met’s Cesnola Collection (named after the first director of the museum, Luigi Palma di Cesnola).
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Veronica Beard’s line with Sylvia Toledano includes a bezel-set carnelian cabochon inclip-onform.
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This reminds me of old Elsa Peretti, especially for the cord.
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Between the 18-karatgold-platedrondelles are ditalini-like carnelian beads.
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… but I’m thinking of getting the bracelet (with the same clasp) myself.
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A traditional intaglio depicting Pegasus, the hero Bellerophon’s mount.
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I can imagine these carnelian cameos on Autumn de Wilde’s Emma Woodhouse.
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As seen on Leandra Medine Cohen, next to an Indress ostrich-feather pin.
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These petals of carnelian are hanging from a hammered 22-karat gold-plated collar.
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Ted Muehling Berries
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“It has been said that Colin Firth is ‘the thinking woman’s heartthrob,’ and this, too, isTed Muehlingas jeweler,” writes illustrator Joana Avillez. Muehling’s Acorns, Berries, and Long Berries are all available in carnelian (or chrysoprase and chalcedony).
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Did you know Gabriella Kiss was Ted Muehling’s apprentice? If I were to guess, Muehling’sStone Riceinfluenced Kiss’s Bean (as did the Hudson Valley, where her studio is).
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The carnelian in thisFinding Nemo–themed charm has faceted sides like a fish’s scales.
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This is a version of Faris’sBam Ring, explaining the name, Bamini.
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There’s a Southwest influence to Vertigo, which sources its semi-precious stones (including jasper, jade, aventurine, serpentine, and tourmaline) from Phoenix.
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Inspired by holidays that founder Juliana Liden spent in the beach town of Trancoso, Brazil.
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The carnelian cabochons in J.Hannah x the Met’s second collaboration reference Hans Memling’s portrait ofTommaso Portinari and his wife, Maria Baroncelli; Barthel Bruyn the Younger’s of amember of the Slosgin family; andJudith With the Head of Holofernesby Lucas Cranach the Elder.
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Jean Prounis modeled these after ancientalabastra(or vessels that held scents like amber and myrrh), each topped with a 22-karat-gold cap and bezel-set ruby.
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